Giveaway Winner Announced!

Thank you so much to everyone who left me a comment on the giveaway post, and to all of you for following.  I've picked a winner at random and that winner is....

HEBRIDEAN_SPRITE!!!

Congratulations lovely; please email me and productpixie@hotmail.co.uk so I can get your prize to you.

Clarins Hand & Nail Cream

There's not much I really need to say about this except for it's The Best Hand Cream In The World Ever: Volume 1 - Infinity.  Have we talked about how much I *hate* getting moisturiser on my hands?  Have we?  I hate moisturing my face and my body and my hands because I loathe the feeling of moisturiser on my hands.  And when it gets under your nails?  Don't even get me started. 

However, I realise I need to moisturise in order to get my ticket to beauty Heaven one day, and this is the one hand cream I've tried that isn't greasy or slimy or leaves a horrible slippy residue in its wake.  It rich and luxurious and sinks in straight away and leaves hands in tip-top condition.  The thought of being without it sends me spiralling into panic.  Get it.

Haus of Gloi

 

A pyramid of products!  That makes me very happy.  And aware that I need a better camera.  Haus of Gloi is a vegan brand from the United States,  run by Britton and Matt (I do not know them, they just include a cute little handwritten note with each order).  They produce a beautifully addictive range of body products - scrubs, lotions, body butters, soaps, perfumes and lipbalms - in a wide range of natural scents.  They also release Limited Edition seasonal collections which often feature some of their most popular scents so it's worth keeping the website in your Favourites for regular stalking.

I have placed two orders with them now, the most recent of which arrived yesterday (all of it is shown above along with a few bits left from my first order).  The main reason I love Haus of Gloi so much, and it's mainly the Pumpkin Butters that I order, is that they are the only scented body product I have tried that hasn't irritated my eczema-prone legs and arms.  It's such a treat to be able to wear a gorgeous scented cream that actually moisturises and isn't greasy instead of always having to reach for the E45 or the Bio Oil.

Anyway, onto the goods!  There's so many and the website describes them pretty well but these are my favourites.

I don't like anything sugary sweet, nutty, floral or overly citrussy, so all of these tick my boxes.  From this little line up, Sanctum (LE) and Imp are my favourites.  The Whipped Soap (Sanctum bottom right) is brilliant for shaving legs and other keys areas.  It's like lightly whipped marshmallow in texture and doesn't irritate skin at all.  The Bubbling Scrubs are another favourite; they're just the right mix of abrasive and moisturising, and the scents linger on the skin for a good couple of hours.

The Pumpkin Butters are light in texture but incredibly moisturising.  They sink into the skin without problem and the scent lasts, honestly, all day.  I use them on my arms and legs and my chest, so I constantly get wafts of the scent throughout the day.  It's also the first body butter I've used where people comment on how nice I smell.  The Brier Path (shown above) is part of the Summer collection; it's a gorgeous rose scent that I wish I'd ordered more of now.  I shall be waiting impatiently for that to come back round again next year!

One scent I don't really like is Honey Tree.  Normally I love anything honey-scented but this to me smells odd...it actually smells like ammonia.  It could be my nose or a dud batch or just nothing but I'm not a fan.  However if I layer it underneath something like Moon Dog, a favourite, it's fine.  It still does the job of moisturising really well.

With my order I got two of these perfume oil samples included.  Depravity (right) is quite a fresh scent, which is ok, but Insalata Nocturna on the left is TO DIE FOR.  I am kicking myself for not ordering the other products in this scent range; it smells like Italy in the summer.  Tomatoes and herbs and lemon and basil, it is absolutely divine.  It sounds like you'll smell like a (delicious) salad but you won't, you'll just smell yummy.

Overall, I cannot recommend Haus of Gloi products highly enough, especially if you're sick of all the mass high street body product scents.  The quality of these products is unbelievable - and they're so cheap!  Shipping to the UK from the States takes around 3 weeks but it's so worth the wait.  I already have my next order planned.

Skincare for Oily Skin

 

I've mentioned several times now that I have oily, blemish-prone skin that also gets very congested and has visibly large pores.  All in all, a total joy, I'm sure you'll agree.  Over the last few months I have sought advice (from Beauty Mouth) and made an effort to overhaul my skincare routine and finally, I am seeing some positive changes, so I thought it high time I shared my new routine.

Day (above):

I wash my face in the shower with a basic gel cleanser to remove any leftover mascara and residue from the day before.  Currently it's this Simple one but any will do (although The Doctor Brand is my all time favourite).  Sometimes I second cleanse with a proper treatment wash, which is currently this La Roche Posay Effaclar Foaming Wash.

Before moisturiser, I always apply The Doctor Brand Pore Cleansing Gel (shown above).  A detailed review of The Doctor Brand is coming up but essentially, I adore it.  This gel acts as a clarifying barrier between my clean skin and a moisturiser and helps keep my pores slightly less clogged.  After that, I apply an oil-free moisturiser.  Currently I'm using a Botanics one as I need to use it up but after that I will return to The Doctor Brand or Alpha-H.  I also have the La Roche Posay Effaclar oil-free day fluid (pictured) which I'm trialling, and so far I really like it.

Make up removal:

Eye make up remover: I am totally wedded to my Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover, which for £3.05 is pretty unbeatable.  However, I admit I caved to curiosity recently and ordered a bottle of Bioderma and I must say, it might be my favourite ever make up remover.  Just for the sheer ease - you can do your whole face, including eyes, with two cotton pads - and the simplicity of it.  I love micellar (water) cleansers because, frankly, I'm lazy, however at £14 or so a pop, this might be an expensive habit.  

So I don't zoom through the Bioderma too fast, I'm also using the Boots Vitamin E 2 in 1 Cleansing Lotion, which I have to say I really like.  It's a lightweight lotion that I just apply and remove with cotton wool and it does a decent job of cleansing, and hasn't really broken me out.  Well worth it for a budget option or if your skin doesn't require anything fancy.

If I am being diligent or have been wearing a lot of make up, I follow this by cleansing my face with the Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser, a lovely creamy wash that leaves my skin smooth and soft, but not stripped of natural oils or loaded with product.

After cleansing, I religiously apply the La Roche Posay Effaclar K night treatment, a light cream that promises to keep blemishes and clogged pores at bay, as well as evening skin tone over time.  I adore this.  It's the first night treatment I've used that doesn't leave me with a shiny, over-stuffed face in the morning but it does deliver a good layer of moisture and I have definitely seen an improvement in the clarity of my skin since using this too.

Lastly, my secret (not so much now) weapon, Alpha-H Liquid Gold.  You can read the proper review here, but I am using this once or twice a week now and the difference it makes to my skin is just unbelievable.  I cannot recommend this product highly enough for all over toning, brightening, clarifying, smoothing, refining, etc. etc. etc.  It's just amazing.

Once a week I apply a clay-based face mask, and the best I've used is this Alpha-H Purifying Face Mask.  Clay masks are brilliant for people like me with oily skin with enlarged pores, helping to draw out impurities and balance the oil in the skin.  This one smells like lavender; I apply it and sit in front of some crap TV (and apply lipstick) for 15-20 minutes before removing it with a muslin cloth and applying my Effaclar K night treatment.  Next day, beautiful skin.

The one big difference I have made to my routine is not using a face scrub any more.  I used to use products like Clean & Clear Daily Blackhead Remover scrub or similar such products, thinking they were clearing out my pores and getting rids of spots, but actually they were too harsh for me and left my skin over-compensating for what I was stripping away and instead over-producing oil.  Not a good look.

So there we have it, my routine for oily skin.  It might seem like a lot but unfortunately I don't have that skin where the less you do, the better it seems.  I require work.  In terms of prices, I totally appreciate that Alpha-H is higher than high street prices for skincare but for me, it's absolutely worth the money.  Having good skin makes the world of difference not just to looks and make up application but also to confidence.  La Roche Posay sits in the middle of high street prices (averaging £10-£11 a product) but again, they very much work and if you buy them in Boots, you can rack up those Advantage Points!  It's also worth keeping an eye on websites like Escentual for amazing deals on their skincare.

If you have oily skin and a tight budget, you can't really go wrong with the Neutrogena range.  Their Oil-Free make up remover (reviewed here) is brilliant and they have a huge range of facial scrubs and washes to suit all skin types.

As ever I'd love to hear your tips and products for oily skin. 

I Am Woman

A little off piste but something I've been thinking about for a while.  This post isn't aimed at anything or anyone in particular, it's just a result of several comments I've either overheard or read or been on the receiving end of at times, and it's got me thinking - in the style of Carrie Bradshaw - about what makes a woman a woman, or a girl a girl for that matter.  I wouldn't call myself a girlie girl at all, but does that make me less of a woman?  For example:

I don't wear pink. 
I don't bake (cupcakes actually irritate me). 
I hate going to the hairdressers. 
I would rather pull out my eyelashes than have to sit through The Notebook again.
I don't wear much jewellery.
Not once in my life have I worried about whether or not my bum looks big in something.
I've never read a book by Marian Keyes, Cecelia Ahern, Jodi Picoult or similar.
I've never coloured my hair (save for about 5 highlights ten years ago).
I don't know how to curl my hair.
I've never used fake tan.
I hate the smell of jasmine, much preferring woodsmoke, leather and petrol.
I couldn't care less about any man or woman seeing me without a scrap of make up on.
I want smaller boobs.
I do not enjoy Valentine's Day.
I often prefer a pint to a spritzer.

I appreciate that all of those things are very much at the superficial end of what it might mean to be a girl, but I'm surprised at how many of those things cause people to judge me, even for just a second.  I've never worried about what other people think of me, and don't at all now, but it still never fails to amaze me (read: piss me off) when people raise their eyebrows if I order a Peroni rather than a Pinio, or eat a burger rather than a salad.

None of these things should define a person, woman or man, but so many people still seem to think they do.

I know I'm not alone in this at all, and I'd be interested to  know what makes you feel like a woman, apart of course from being better drivers and fabulous multi-taskers :)

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Guava

I love a bit of a bright lip, and I LOVE a bit of Bobbi Brown, so imagine my glee upon finding this little beauty, the .  Pigmented, slightly glossy, very moisturising and pleasingly long-lasting, this is everything I want in a summer (and winter, for that matter) lipstick.

 

Do not be afraid of this colour.  It really is gorgeous and looks equally good with skin of Casper and skin of Gisele.  PLUS it features an SPF of 12.  PLUS the packaging is very sleek.  PLUS there are lots of other lovely colours in the range so I need to buy more so it's not lonely.  In short, this is my most favourite lipstick.

Rest of face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation - 52 & 54 mixed

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, reviewed here
Urban Decay Naked Palette - used Virgin, Naked and Dark House, all smooshed together over the lid
Prestige My Blackest Black mascara (ok, but clumps like a mother)
Mac brow pencil in Fling
Natural Collection blush in Peach Melba

No7 Mineral Loose Powder Blusher

This little pot of deliciousness was another goodie I scooped up in a giveaway from Modesty Brown.  I admit I didn't use it for a while because I was a little bit scared of it; the colour Soft Damson looks quite dark in the pot and being a loose powder, definitely has the propensity for over-application and Aunt Sally cheeks.  But recently I've been a brave bean and have been using this daily.  And I'm a little bit in love.

You get a very generous amount of product in the pot, which is a good size for picking it up on whatever brush you use (I am currently using the Elf Studio Kabuki to buff this in).  You don't need very much, and you are left with a very subtle, sophisticated rosy glow which compliments, rather than overpowers, any look.  I love this and will be looking to add more mineral loose blushers to my collection soon.  No7 Mineral Loose Powder Blusher in Soft Damson can be purchased here.

It's The Little Things...

Pedicure: Cowshed Speedy Pedicure
Polish: Essie Rose Bowl
Shoes: Kurt Geiger

Miss Sporty Pump Up The Lash mascara

I've written on here several times about how my favourite ever mascara is the Miss Sporty XXLong mascara (although I realise that I've crucially negated to do an actual review so I must rectify that) but recently I've been trying out another of the Miss Sporty mascaras, the Pump Up Lash one.  Always on the search for a good volumising mascara, at £3.99 I thought this would be a cheap thrill that might yield brilliant results.

It all looks quite promising with a large wand that grips the lashes quite well, but doesn't actually pick up much product when you pull it out of the tube.  Pump Up Lash mascara sadly doesn't add any volume to my lashes, but conversely lengthens and separates them quite a bit, so if that's your bag, you could do a lot worse (and a lot more expensive) than this.  However, I personally don't like the finish it gives so I won't be buying this again, but I will continue to be evangelical about XXLong - and finally finish the review!

Empties of 2011: Vol 5, 6 & 7

So I've got a little behind with these posts, but I have been using up a lot of stuff.  See?

Lots of shower products and a couple of nice deodorants have been used up in the past couple of months, plus yet more of my Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover, which I am considering entering into a civil partnership with (although I have just purchased Bioderma for the first time, so there may soon be a sassy new chick in town).

I've also started to make small but better than nothing inroads into my make up collection, with a lipstick (17 Mirror Shine in Belle, Mac Superslick liquid liner (HATE with a passion) and L'Oreal Volume Collagen mascara).  Plus, there are two skincare items in there from The Doctor Brand.  I have repurchased them and you can expect a very positive review on them in the next week. 

I am really liking this little journal I'm keeping; it helps me see the kind of products I really do use as opposed to the ones that I rarely finish, meaning they sit unloved for a long time!

Topshop make up

I haven't looked at the Topshop make up range for over a year so when I found myself at the Oxford Circus branch with about fifteen minutes to spare last week, I made the most of it and picked up five items.  Three of the items are from the Sandstorm collection, and the other two are permanent in the range.

L-R: Crayon in Equinox, Highlighter in Sunrise, Lipgloss stick in Glisten, Eyeshadow mousse in Glint,Cheeks in Prism

I am always impressed with the quality of the Topshop make up products; the packaging, pigmentation and range of colours is brilliant, especially when you consider that none of these products (the ones I bought) were over the £10 point.

The Crayon in Equinox is a beautifully creamy eye pencil/shading stick in a taupe/champagne shade.  It glides on and doesn't drag, and deposits a good amount of colour to the lid.  Looks stunning all over the lid or as a liner on its own, or adds subtle metallic sheen underneath any eyeshadow.

Next up is the Eyeshadow mousse in Glint.  I nearly bought Tundra as well, but figured I have other shades that are similar.  Glint is a dirty mauve with a pretty shimmer; very flattering and easy to wear all year round.  As it's a mousse, I find it does crease after a few hours wear but nothing a good primer can't deal with.

The Eyeshadow mousse can be easily blended onto the lid with fingers or a fluffy brush, and the colour is buildable.  Here's a heavy and a sheer swatch for comparison.

The Highlighter in Sunrise was bought in a moment where I imagined myself to be Gisele, with skin of honey and cheekbones of razors.  In translation, it's slightly too warm for my skin at the moment but I will get a lot of use our of this when my tan has been dredged up from the depths of my bones.

The highlighters are large, pretty equivalent in size to the Mac MSF's and the powder is smooth and soft.

In contrast to the warmth of Sunrise, the other highlighter I got was one of their Nars Multiple-esque stick highlighters in Prism, a cool-toned pearl shade.  It's slightly opalescent, and works much better on my paler skin.

The sheen is very subtle; it applies ever so slightly chalkily (might well have made that word up) but the finish is nice.

Finally (and if you have made it this far, frankly you should be applauding yourself), the Lipgloss stick in Glisten.  Frighteningly fuschia in the tube, once applied this is incredibly glossy and bright, and, I think, will suit pretty much all skin tones.  Love the gold packaging too - makes me feel like a propa posho.

So there we have it, my new 5-piece from Topshop.  Favourites are the two eye products but overall I am thrilled with what I bought.

What are your favourite items from the Topshop make up range?